Composed 1943; Duration: 6 minutes

First performance of this work by the BPO.

Polish composer and violinist Grażyna Bacewicz began her studies at the Warsaw Conservatory and continued in Paris, where she learned from famed pedagogue Nadia Boulanger. She toured Europe as a soloist, but eventually settled in Warsaw, where she served as concertmaster for the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and composed and performed her first violin concerto (1937).

Her career had primarily been performance-oriented, but during the Nazi occupation of Poland, she composed more and performed in secret concerts. Her 1943 Overture is energetically propelled by rhythmic timpani and strings, and demonstrates a masterful control of dense textures and seamless orchestration. The work was finally performed after the war in 1945, and the following decades saw a shift in focus from performance to composition. She was incredibly prolific, producing seven violin concertos, four symphonies, and countless other works for solo violin, chamber ensembles, and film scores. Her reputation is due for revival.